Background Checks:

March 2006 issue

When any full or part time person is hired into a staff position at DePaul, a background check is done. At least at The Theatre School, it is NOT done when adjunct (part time) faculty are hired. Why? Are background checks done on full time faculty when they are hired? If not, why not? Thanks.

Response

Source: Kelly Johnson
Title: AVP for Academic Affairs
Unit/Department: Office of Academic Affairs

Response: The university does not require background checks for the hire of new full time faculty (or part time faculty). The basic reasoning behind this is that, per the Faculty Handbook (Section I: Faculty Governance):

"Faculty participate in all areas of University governance. They have primary responsibilities over academic and scholarly activities, faculty personnel matters, and education interests and policies. They have participatory or advisory responsibilities in other areas."

"5. By tradition and by training, the faculty are expected to make judgments about the academic integrity of the curriculum and the professional requirements of faculty status. Therefore, curriculum, academic programs, and faculty status questions shall be considered primary responsibilities of the faculty. It is understood that in order to carry out these responsibilities, the faculty will work closely with the academic administrators and the officers of the University. They will also seek the advice of students, part-time faculty, and staff. While the President and the Board of Trustees have the authority to reverse the decision of the faculty regarding their primary responsibilities, it is expected that they would do so only in exceptional circumstances, and would communicate the reasons to the faculty."

That's why: faculty determine hiring processes and policies for faculty; Human Resources determines hiring processes and policies for staff.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) wrote an opinion on background checks for faculty. Review the article at:

http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/2003/03ma/03malw.htm